Hanyang University Wins Best Paper Award at 2025 APTA Conference

Recognized for Research Excellence in the Field of Future Urban Railways

Hanyang University announced on the 16th that the Future Innovation Tourism Lab of its Department of Tourism has received the Best Paper Award at the '2025 Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) International Conference' held in Busan.

Researchers from the Future Innovation Tourism Lab participating in the 2025 APTA Conference are taking a commemorative photo. (From left) Researcher Yoojung Cho, Researcher Junghui Lee, Professor Hakseung Shin, Researcher Seulgi Lee, Researcher Juran Park, Researcher Jihyun Cho. Hanyang University

APTA, established in 1995, is a leading academic association in the Asia-Pacific region for tourism studies and holds global authority in the fields of tourism and hospitality.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the conference, which was held from July 7 to July 9, with approximately 350 scholars from 15 countries, including Korea, the United States, China, Japan, and Canada, presenting a total of about 200 papers.

The award-winning paper, titled 'Consumer inference of ulterior motives and its effect on hotel sustainability initiatives,' was co-presented by master's student Seulgi Lee and Professor Hakseung Shin.

This paper addressed consumer perceptions and response mechanisms regarding hotel sustainability initiatives. The research analyzed whether consumers perceive hotels' eco-friendly activities as genuine environmental protection efforts (Green) or as profit-seeking strategies (Greedy) by corporations.

Professor Shin stated, "This conference was a meaningful opportunity to showcase our lab's research achievements and capabilities internationally," adding, "Winning the Best Paper Award is significant as it demonstrates that our research team's academic efforts have been recognized at the international level."